New to the celica community Options

[pnguyen]

Hello all!

i'm new here and new to the celica community. i'm looking to buy a 6th gen by the end of this month. i currently own a mitsubishi 3000gt and it's been giving me nothing but headaches recently. so i figure its time to get rid of it and try out a more reliable and efficient car.

before i go out and buy one though, i just had a few questions. is the celica a pretty managable/easy car to work on? i have moderate experience with cars and can do most things by myself. i know my 3000gt was a pain sometimes to work on.

also, are there any common problems with these cars? anything i should watch out for in particular? it will be my daily driver and i drive roughly 60 miles a day to work and back. just wondering how these cars hold up as im sure most of you know, 3000gts are notorious for breaking down :X

and lastly, are parts and stuff pretty readily available and inexpensive?

thanks for any input and i hope to join the community with my a 6th gen of my own soon

Paul

[CastrolCelica]

I always loved the 3000GT body style, but being it's a Mitsubishi, I'm not surprised you're having issues.

The Celica is a very easy car to work with. I said it before and I'll say it again, before I got my car the only thing I knew how to do was change a tire and change my oil. Since I purchased this car, I've had a lot of help through friends and the guys here, and just research on my own, and have found working on this car to be a joy. Unlike my Prius, I can access all the parts in the engine and change out anything I need to without any accessibility problems.

Rust on the rocker panels and back quarter panels are your main "issues". I got my car in Texas though and brought it to Ohio, so I'm rust free. The parts are VERY inexpensive (heck, you can get a brand new top of the line engine for under 2K) and I couldn't recommend the car enough.

A couple suggestions. When you get your car, it's probably wise to replace the following:

Battery
Valve cover gasket
Oil pan gasket
Spark Plugs
Oil and pretty much all fluids including coolant.

I know that sounds elementary, but it's good to replace those as you know when the last time they were changed. That way you don't find yourself on the side of the road like me when I first got mine.

Oh btw, radiators in Celicas have a tendency to be stock. Mine was, and at 140k of use, it was ready to go... and did....the day I bought it. If the radiator is a weird greenish yellow kinda canvas color, replace it. It's stock. They're cheap at Auto Zone, reliable, and easy to install.

Best of luck bud. Get a manual, and try to get a GT. Hatchbacks are the usual favorite around here and they're easier to get aftermarket parts for than the coupes and verts.

This post has been edited by CastrolCelica: Jan 25, 2010 - 9:28 AM

[SwissFerdi]

^ Follow everything this guy said, with one small exception (you GT supremacist!). If you're looking to keep your engine stock and want a small amount of power, go for the GT. It has 30 HP more than the ST and has a bit more get-up-and-go. If you're looking to swap OR go turbo, the GT would also be the better way to go, because you'll have the correct transmission and most motor mounts for a 3S-GTE. However, it's a lot of work for either model, so that matters less. Turbo'ing a 5S-FE will also give you better power, more than enough in my opinion. Having said that, the ST is a bit lighter than the GT, so if you're going for handling, go for the ST. The 7A-FE can also be turbo'd, but it won't net you all that much power. The ST can also be engine swapped, but for that you're better off with a GT since you'll have more of the equipment that you need, and swapping negates the weight difference anyway.

Good luck, and let us know what you find!

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Jan 25, 2010 - 9:41 AM

[Keiri]

^ Follow everything this guy said, with one small exception (you GT supremacist!). If you're looking to keep your engine stock and want a small amount of power, go for the GT. It has 30 HP more than the ST and has a bit more get-up-and-go. If you're looking to swap OR go turbo, the GT would also be the better way to go, because you'll have the correct transmission and most motor mounts for a 3S-GTE. However, it's a lot of work for either model, so that matters less. Turbo'ing a 5S-FE will also give you better power, more than enough in my opinion. Having said that, the ST is a bit lighter than the GT, so if you're going for handling, go for the ST. The 7A-FE can also be turbo'd, but it won't net you all that much power. The ST can also be engine swapped, but for that you're better off with a GT since you'll have more of the equipment that you need, and swapping negates the weight difference anyway.

Good luck, and let us know what you find!

So basically...buy a GT.

[SwissFerdi]

I will kick the living shi...I mean, no.

In most cases, get a GT. If I had to pick another Celica, I'd go for a manual ST since I know I don't want a 3S and I'm trying to stay light.

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Jan 25, 2010 - 9:56 AM

[stephen_lee]

STs are great for reliability, efficiency AND are much easier to work on. so having that said, you'd be better off w/ an ST considering your daily commute and desire to work on something easy. the ST(7AFE) engine bay is VERY open. the only thing thats really a pain is changing the starter, u have to hit it from under the car. Take my advice, i've owned 3 STs ( both auto and manual) and one GT.

STs are bad on burning oil though, so if she smokes.. thats a problem u'd have to deal with, or find another

[CastrolCelica]

Ok ok fine. If you want to corner well because you have no horsepower to propel you forward, get a ST.
Otherwise get a GT.



That about right, Swissferdi?


EDIT: @ Stephen

My GT is my daily driver, and I don't have any issues with it with reliabiilty or find it difficult to work on. In fact, I'm sure anyone who owns a GT here will testify it's a very reliable car that is VERY easy to work on. Have you ever worked on a Beetle or a Prius? If not, go work on one and then go work on a GT. You'll understand what I mean.

Hmm, maybe a bit bias much?

This post has been edited by CastrolCelica: Jan 25, 2010 - 9:59 AM

[SwissFerdi]

Ok ok fine. If you want to corner well because you have no horsepower to propel you forward, get a ST.
Otherwise get a GT.

That about right, Swissferdi?

That sounds a lot better. And again, it's not that underpowered. BUT...I can't talk because I can't even shift it myself, so I shall kindly end this debate.

[Keiri]

...

My GT is my daily driver, and I don't have any issues with it with reliabiilty or find it difficult to work on. In fact, I'm sure anyone who owns a GT here will testify it's a very reliable car that is VERY easy to work on. Have you ever worked on a Beetle or a Prius? If not, go work on one and then go work on a GT. You'll understand what I mean.

Hmm, maybe a bit bias much?

I agree with the reliability and ease of work on the GT. I owned a Pontiac Grand Am before my GT and it was a pain to work on - I needed to get under the car or have it on a lift to do any engine work at all. Compared to my GT where I have pulled the starter, alternator, oil filter, stock air box, etc. off in a parking lot with just a handful of sockets, screwdrivers, and some elbow work - basically my small tool kit I carry in my trunk.

[Tech-Nics]

Try to get a GT. Who says you can't have a little fun driving to work?

[samir0189]

Welcome! On the ST vs GT deal, Id say go for the GT if you can, you get rear disc brakes, standard fog lights on 96+, rear wiper (i think?), and bigger stock wheels along with the bigger, more powerful engine.

[CastrolCelica]

I think we scared him away with our enthusiasm

[pnguyen]

thanks a lot for all the replies. i am actually looking for a GT so that works out i can deal with it being a little harder to work on, just as long as its easier and more reliable than my 3000gt, which shouldnt be hard haha. i got my eye on this one actually:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/1565521304.html

[Keiri]

Welcome! On the ST vs GT deal, Id say go for the GT if you can, you get rear disc brakes, standard fog lights on 96+, rear wiper (i think?), and bigger stock wheels along with the bigger, more powerful engine.

Yes, it's stock on GTs.

[dabazied]

Welcome! On the ST vs GT deal, Id say go for the GT if you can, you get rear disc brakes, standard fog lights on 96+, rear wiper (i think?), and bigger stock wheels along with the bigger, more powerful engine.

Welcome. I drive my car A LOT. If you make sure you are getting a non-dud you'll be alright with a 60mile commute. I personally have a coupe st. The GT does have a bigger, more powerful engine, but its really not that big of a difference, it is, but it isn't when you factor the weight. Hatches have a lot more popularity and customization potential is a little easier. The stuff in bold are things that really matter in the way of differences. I already hit the engine issue, stock wheels don't usually matter because they get changed, rear wiper only matters if you have a hatch(hatches weigh more than coupes), fog lights would be nice but there are other alternative ways to have them, and nuff said with rear discs.

To answer your original questions, Both models are fairly easy to work on. Parts aren't super expensive, but when you try to upgrade certain things it can get pricey. OEM parts are fairly easy to find, yet when upgrading parts, you may have trouble finding things at times. That's what this great community is here for though. For common problems on this car I'm not too sure, depends on mileage and certain factors. Look through the forums and you'll see whats up and maybe you'll see trends in problems, but for the most part these are solid, slow cars(yes even the gt) but super enjoyable to drive, and they can be made into fast beasts.

This post has been edited by dabazied: Jan 25, 2010 - 12:30 PM

[samir0189]

thanks a lot for all the replies. i am actually looking for a GT so that works out i can deal with it being a little harder to work on, just as long as its easier and more reliable than my 3000gt, which shouldnt be hard haha. i got my eye on this one actually:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/1565521304.html

I think that looks like a coupe. Do some searching and have a look at some members rides to determine which you prefer, coupe or hatchback. Both have pros/cons.

[epocsirhc]

I have a GT and do around a 60 mile commute with it. I will say that at times the car is a pain in the butt to work on compared to a Honda but most of the time its easy.

[CastrolCelica]

thanks a lot for all the replies. i am actually looking for a GT so that works out i can deal with it being a little harder to work on, just as long as its easier and more reliable than my 3000gt, which shouldnt be hard haha. i got my eye on this one actually:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/1565521304.html

I think that looks like a coupe. Do some searching and have a look at some members rides to determine which you prefer, coupe or hatchback. Both have pros/cons.

Honestly, that's a lot of money for a stock Celica. For that much money, you can find one that's modified in the for sale section here . My GT is a 95 hatch, manual. I go mine stock for under $2800 I believe. That was from a low miles driver like the lady he's describing with no rust or wear.

This post has been edited by CastrolCelica: Jan 25, 2010 - 12:44 PM

[pnguyen]

wow that sounds like an awesome deal haha. i'll keep my eye out then and let you all know what i find
thanks for all the info and help guys

[sanders81]

look for GT
1999 less rust on them